Friday, August 12, 2011

The Floor Is Her Buffet?

Abby has a very bad habit and I would suppose many other babies her age share in this same bad habit: she enjoys eating food (and nonfood) off our floor. Now that she's feeding herself somewhat eventually some of the food on her tray is flung off and ends up on the floor. Most of the big pieces are picked up right away, but without fail there will be a stub of a green bean of a nibble of macaroni noodle that ends up under the cabinet ledge where I don't see it. When she's allowed to explore and comes crawling back into the kitchen a few hours later, she locates the food she disposed of earlier. (Maybe this is similar to dogs returning to the food they buried). I'll be busy cooking or washing dishes and will notice she's chewing on something. I'll quickly swipe my finger in her mouth to discover it's leftovers from the previous meal. Ewww. The sad thing is that I have lots of snacks and a pantry full of good food I would give her, but she chooses to eat off of the floor.

I wonder if God sometimes looks at our behavior with disgust. He's provided us with the spiritual nourishment we need and yet we choose to dig in the garbage can of self-help books, romance novels, TV talk shows, sexually explicit movies, God-bashing music, and prosperity-Gospel preachers to feed our soul. How this must sadden His heart. I've been guilty also. I have the Bread of Life. How dare I consider eating the husks the world has to offer? All my hunger pangs will vanish when I feast on the spiritual food. Yet I choose to wander away from the Father's house to pick through the leftovers on the floor.

Note to self:

It takes effort to make God's Word a priority in my life. It goes against my sinful nature. I must make it a priority by refusing to sit down and enjoy my music/TV show/morning walk/current book until I've consumed some of His Word.

Nothing but the Bread of Life will satisfy my hungry soul. I must daily return to feast on the gourmet buffet God has provided. I must not let it sit undevoured.

If it's a temptation, avoid it. Stay away from the places that offer the empty husks of the world. If I know a TV show will enthrall me for the next hour and I haven't taken time to feast on God's Word that day, I should keep the TV off. I must avoid the "junk food."

Don't settle for milk, if steak and potatoes are an option. I must use the tools God has provided to grow in my faith: a concordance, online study helps, a spiritual mentor, a God-fearing husband.

"Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." John 6:32-35

About Me

I'm a full-time mother to little Abigail and a wife to Jeff. God has a sense of humor and He recently moved us to a small town in north-central Kansas.
I love to volunteer, find great bargains, study God's Word, cycle, hike, camp and take photographs.
This blog is primarily made up of sermons to myself. I need daily reminders of God's goodness and grace.
(H.E.R. would be my initials, in case you haven't figured that out)